Pedal-chord-player attachment for pianos



F11. KUMMET'H.

PEDAL CHORD PLAYER`ATTACHMENT FOR PINOS.

APPLICATION FILED Dems. 1917.

' 1,332,668. PaIenIed Mar. `,2, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Fig. 1.

[mi III 6|'. if lI atto: e146 F. 1. KUMMETH. PEDAL CHOBD PLAYER ATTACHMENT FOR FIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED' DEC. 18,1917.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 UNTED STATES FATENT FFCE.

'FRANK J'. KUIVIMETH, OF HERON LAKE, MINNESOTA.

PEDAL-CHORD-PLAYER ATTACHTIIENT FOR PIANOS.

Application filed December 18, 1917.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. KUMMETH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Heron Lake, in the county of Jackson, State of l/iiinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pedal-Chord- Player Attachments for Pianos; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in chord players for pianos, organs, or the like and particularly to pedal operated chord players therefor.

One object of the present invention is to provide a novel attachment for the keyboard of a piano whereby a player of another instrument may play his own accompaniment on the piano while playing the other instrument.

Another object is to provide a device of this character whereby the player of another solo instrument may play his accompaniment on the piano by the use or' his feet, thus permitting him to better keep the time by depressing his feet at the accented beats.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which can be quickly and easily adjusted whereby accompaniments can be readily played in dilierent keys.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a piano equipped with my playing attachment.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the parts of the attachment, parts of the piano being shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the device.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of one of the yoke members.

Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 8--8 of Fig. 6.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

Serial No. 207,725.

y Fig. 9 is a detail vertical sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. l, but showing the pedal base board in dotted lines in its position when supported by the turnbutton 33.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawings 10I represents the keys of the key-board oi the piano 11. Secured to the bottom of each of the key levers is a depending L-shaped member 12. Below the keys there is fixed a bottom plate 13 in which is formed a longitudinally extending slot 14 through which projects the guiding block 15 carried by the lower face of the sliding board 16. Mounted on the upper face' of this board are a plurality of blocks 17, and pivotally mounted on these blocks are the series of nested yoke members 18. The front portion of each of the yoke members is formed with the depending lugs 19 which are arranged to engage with the horizontal portions of certain of the L-shaped members carried by the keys. Thus when one of the yokes is swung downwardly its lugs will engage with the L-shaped members 12 of certain of the keys and cause the depression of said keys with the result that the hammers actuated by said keys, but not shown, will strike the strings corresponding thereto and produce the required chord. Each of the'yoke members has the lugs disposed at different points so that the set of lugs of one yoke will strike the keys ,of one set or combination to produce a certain chord, while the lugs of another yoke member will strike other keys and produce a chord of another musical key. Extending downwardly through openings 20 in the sliding board 16 are straps 21, the upper end of each or' which is connected to a laterally projecting pin 22 carried by the intermediate arm 23 of one of the yoke mem' bers. The other end of each strap is connected to a pedal 24 which is pivotally mounted in a slot 25 in a base board 26, said base board being arranged to rest on the iioor beneath the piano the player resting his heel thereon, while he depresses the pedals successively with the toes of his feet. It will be noted that there is a pedal for each of the yoke members and each pedal is connected with its corresponding yoke by means of a strap.

Formed in the rear Jface of the key slip 27 of the piano is a longitudinally extending recess 28, and through the upper wall of this recess there is formed a slot 29. Secured to the forward portion of the sliding board 16 is a forwardly extending lug 30 which extends into the said recess, and connected to this lug and extending vertically through the said slot is a bolt or pin 31 having a iingerpiece 32 on the upper end whereby the same may be grasped to slide the board longitudinally under the key levers and thus position the yoke members at the proper points for engagement with the i.- shaped members of the key levers.

lt will thus be seen that the player of a cornet, violin, or other instrument which requires the use olf both of the hands ot the player, can, by the use oi both of his feet depress the pedals in the proper order and at the proper time to play the appropriate accompaniment on the piano. This will permit him to devote practically his entire attention to the solo instrument, and he can better accent the beats by the depression of the proper pedals at the proper times. TvVhen another person is playing the accompaniment it is dilicult for the soloist to `rollow exactly for the reason that his playing will not coincide with the accented beats in the same sequence as though he played the accompaniment himself.

rEhe device can readily be applied to any of the pianos now in use Without any great changes therein, and without altering` the appearance of the piano.

On the lower iace of the plate 15 there is mounted the pivoted turn button 33 on which the base board 26 and pedals 2li can be readily supported when not in use, the pedals being arranged to bc folded into their respective slots 25 in the base board.

lt will be understood that the player actuates certain of the pedals with his left foot, as for instance those which operate the bass keys oi the piano, while he actuates the other pedals with his right iioot, or those which operate the treble keys.

The yoke members are provided with felt coverings 311-, whereby the contact oi said yokes with the lugs l2 will be practically noiseless.

The slotted plate 16 beneath the keys is covered with felt as shown at 35.

Secured to the board 16 and extending upwardly and transversely over one of the arms of each of the yokes are the stop members 3G, these members limiting the upward movement of the yokes under the influence of the springs 37. Each or' these springs is coiled around a pivot of a yoke member and has one end bearing against the face of the board 16 and the other end engaged around a transverse pin 22 carried by an arm oi a yoke. Thus when the pedals have been depressed, the yoke members will be pulled down to depress the desired piano keys, and when released the yokes will be raised to normal position, out of engagement with the L-shaped members, permitting the keys to rise to normal position.

Vhat is claimed is:

1. The combination with the key levers oi` a piano keyboard, oi: depending members carried by the keys and having' horizontal portions, pivotally mounted members disposed beneath the keys and arranged to engage the horizontal portions or' the depending members of certain of the keys to depress the latter, and a toot operated means connected to each oi the pivoted members.

2. The combination with the keys of a piano key-board, oi' depending L-shaped members carried by the keys, pivoted and nested yokes mounted beneath the keys and provided with depending lugs for engagement with the horizontal portions of certain of the said L-shaped members, and foot actuated means connected to the yokes for depressing the same to actuate certain of the keys.

3. The combination with the keys or' a piano keyboard, of depending L-sha )ed members carried by the said keys, yo res pivotally mounted below the keys and having groups of depending lugs for engagement with the horizontal portions oi certain of the L-shaped members to depress certain keys, a slidable support for the yokes, means for bodily moving the support t0 position the different yokes to position the lugs thereof in proper relation to certain groups of the depending L-shaped members, pedals, and connections between the pedals and the yokes.

In testimony whereof, I aliix my signature in the presence or' two witnesses.

FRANK J. KUMMETH.

Vitnesses:

W. W. JARMUTH, P. C. BREKEL. 

